Rate and review . . . two words have permeated most of our interactions. From Google, to Uber, to Glassdoor and beyond, we live in an economy of feedback. People seem to inherently understand the impact of a bad review for a good or service. If you’re researching the best stroller to buy for your newborn, you’re probably going to steer clear of a product with a low star rating. If you’re picking a vacation destination, you probably won’t go to the place with terrible reviews. What about if you’re looking for a new job, though? People are doing their research ahead of submitting an application. They have more information on potential employers than ever before. A thoughtful candidate is probably not going to apply to a company with a 2.9 rating on Indeed.
Tangibly, how are those bad reviews costing your company? Harvard Business Review conducted a study on that very topic, finding that the three factors contributing to a bad workplace reputation revolve around job security, dysfunctional teams, and poor leadership. Their study also yielded some other staggering results such as: large companies (10,000 employees) may spend as much as $7.6 million in increased wages to offset reputation and convince people to join their organization. That’s around $4,723 per hire. However, about half the people surveyed in the study wouldn’t even take a job with a negative brand reputation, no matter what money they were offered. So, those pay increases that you think are going to solve all your problems? Not the case.
What does it take to improve those ratings and garner more positive reviews? Well, you have to start by being realistic about your current reputation. Monitor your Indeed, Glassdoor, and Google ratings. Dig into historical trends and aggregate common complaints. You can’t tackle your issues if you don’t thoroughly understand them. Don’t forget about your current employees. If you aren’t regularly taking the “pulse” of your organization, it’s time to start. And, maybe ditch the long and draining annual employee survey in favor of shorter, more frequent surveys that provide you with more accurate, real-time data. Regularly polling your employees will help your organization understand its opportunities for improvement, but it will also help you understand your strengths. Once you understand your strengths and your brand voice, you can interact with the public and potential candidates in a more confident way. You may even be able to respond to your detractors and make a positive impact doing so.
Ultimately, you can’t allow your company to ignore the negative noise from sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and Google. Ignoring the issues will only make it grow. Take time to understand external views and interact with them, which will show that you care about improving. Invest time into understanding the opinions of your workforce. Make a real effort to listen to your employees and make tangible change based on their feedback. They, in turn, will be your best ambassadors.
